


Out of Bodies

by hippie-albatross (hippie_albatross)



Category: Gorillaz
Genre: Body Swap, Gen, im new at this so blease be nice
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-13
Updated: 2019-12-13
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:08:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21774979
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hippie_albatross/pseuds/hippie-albatross
Summary: “The Gorillaz were performing their 500th show last night when frontman 2-D and bassist Murdoc Niccals suddenly collapsed during the performance of their song ‘Charger’ off their latest album. Footage here shows reporters following the group as they left St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center this morning at about 7 local time. When asked about their condition, singer 2D had this to say,‘2D, was what happened to you and Mr. Niccals last night the result of years of constant drug use? Did you two overdose onstage?’‘Mr. Niccals? The name’s Murdoc, t&%*. F&$# off,’TMZ is reporting that Mr. Niccals has been having health issues recently…”Murdoc was always secretly (openly) jealous of 2D’s voice, and even wondered how different his life would be if he could’ve frontmanned his own band. But not like this. Oh hell no, not like this. Russel and Noodle juggle finding a cure for the guys’..condition, while also trying to keep them from killing each other, (or themselves? Uh). 2D struggles.
Relationships: Murdoc Niccals & Stuart "2D" Pot, Russel Hobbs & Murdoc Niccals & Noodle & Stuart "2D" Pot
Comments: 3
Kudos: 19





	Out of Bodies

**Chapter 1 -**

_“Gra-vah-teh-eh-eh-eh-eh-eeee, on meee. Never let, me down, gently…”_

The sold-out stadium of 63,000 roared once the blue-haired frontman walked onto stage in his spotlight, beginning the Gorillaz sound check ritual. It was their first song at all their shows, even if they only did a few bars before leading into another song. His tall frame was silhouetted onto a large white monitor behind him, only revealing his visage once he began to sing the opening lines. The adjacent three monitors began to show his bandmates’s silhouettes rising through the floor, the mechanics whirring to lift them up from beneath the stage. The crowd somehow grew louder.

2D smiled as he continued the sound check. The full stage lights came on once Russel and Murdoc brought the beat in, and the whole band was revealed with another roar from the audience. Noodle played her gentle guitar riff over Murdoc’s strong bass line, and Murdoc dutifully kept them in time with Russel, who held a perfect beat.

This was their 500th show, and they were performing it with as much passion as they did all their previous shows. The audience was lovely, and participated whenever 2D would ask them to clap, sing along, or wave. 

The collaborators cycled through joining the group on stage, and 2D would dance with them. The group did all their classic stage tricks, which included such things as Murdoc rising from a lying position during Feel Good, Inc., Noodle playing her guitar behind her back during her solo in Ghost Train, Russel bouncing his sticks off the floor to catch them mid-song in Clint Eastwood, and 2D doing his signature stand on the microphone during Plastic Beach. 

Each song’s lights show would correspond to the theme of the respective album, and their lights coordinator was doing another excellent job this show. Every light was well timed, and their sound coordinator was also top notch. (Murdoc would be merciless in rehearsals, so it was no wonder.)

The show turned into a dance party once they started playing songs from their Humanz album, and all was going well.

Noodle began the opening riff for Charger. Grace Jones sang her lines and laughed playfully on her mic, _“I am the ghost. Hahahahahahaaa!”_ Murdoc and Russel came in on their beats. “Provocative.That’s what I want!.”

2D began to sing, 

_“So Char-char-ger._

_Everything is out to get it._

_I just don't know where I'm a-getting from._

_A char-char-ger_

_What is the cause of it, and_

_Well in that case, then do you know that you’re wrong?_

_A char-char-ger_

_What do you say now?_

_Thought you could use it when the flowers have grown_

_A char-char-ger_

_What did you do in it?_

_I bet you're racing it, I'm left in a stew, shukuchi._

_A cha-charger_

_A cha-charger_

_A cha-charger_

_A cha-charger.”_

At the second “Cha-charger,” 2D began to feel dizzier than usual. He tried to muscle his way through, but at the fourth “Cha-charger,” things started to abruptly fall apart. Murdoc began to have trouble focusing, and had started to lose control of his hands and had stopped playing. 2D missed his cue after Grace’s third “okay.” Murdoc tried yelling something slurredly at Russel before his blood pressure dropped steeply and he fell to the floor. 2D stumbled before also suddenly losing muscle control and collapsed. 

The underlying track played on without Noodle’s riff or Russel’s drumline while they rushed to their bandmates’ sides. Paramedics from the stage sides hurried out as the house lights came on and the music was cut off. The crowd waited tensely and murmured while 2D and Murdoc were carried off stage on stretchers. The concert screeched to a halt.

...

“Aw, man, the hell d’you guys do this time?” Russel walked with the paramedic team as they carried the singer and bassist out onto ambulances. “Are they still alive?”

“Yes, but they both have very low blood pressures. Have they consumed any drugs tonight?”

“Yes.”

“Which ones?”

Russel fished through his pants pocket for the lists of prescribed medications/illicit drugs these two knuckleheads were on. He started keeping track a while ago since he knew their drug use would eventually come back to bite them in the asses, and it looks like it finally did, in a spectacular way.

“Here,” Russel held out his hand with the lists, and the paramedic looked at him over her glasses.

“You two better come with us,” she commanded Russel and Noodle.

The ride to the hospital was terse, and the check-in process quick due to their elevated status. 

Russel and Noodle waited patiently for news in the waiting room. 

A doctor walked out from the patient wing’s doors, “Well, they’re alive. We won’t know for sure what they’re on for another few hours, but the list and dosages of the drugs you gave me--you said they usually take them in these amounts? Did they have any more than usual today?”

“You see, that’s the thing; they’re not on all those drugs all the time, but I do know they’ve used those in the past,” Russel informed the doctor.

“I see. You can try visiting them now. We know they’re just sleeping now and aren’t unconscious anymore. Try to let them wake up on their own, please.”

Russel and Noodle walked into their shared hospital room. The room contained two beds separated by a single curtain. 

“Assholes,” Russel glared at the two of them.

“Russel! We don’t even know if they’re okay yet,” Noodle was amazed at his casual disregard for their health.

“Noodle, they need to take responsibility for their actions, and I’ve told them before: No hard shit before our _fucking concerts!_ Now we’re going to have to do some serious damage control. God,” Russel turned to the window at the end of the room, hands clasped atop his head. He crossed the room to draw the curtains shut. He just knew there’d be a scoping paparazzi out there somewhere. God he hated paparazzi. Fucking vultures.

Noodle sighed. She turned to look at her fathers-turned-brothers. Murdoc was splayed out awkwardly in his hospital bed, mouth open and disturbingly long tongue hanging fully out, while 2D’s arms and legs were carelessly crammed into his undersized bed. Russel and Noodle made themselves comfortable in the nearby visitor chair and sofa.

They waited a couple hours before Noodle finally got too impatient. “I’m gonna wake them up.”

“What? No, the doctor said-”

“Hey Murdoc,” Noodle leaned into Murdoc’s ear and loudly said, “I ate all your meat thins. Also, do you mind if I borrow ‘El Diablo’ for a bit? I want to take it apart and switch out a couple parts. I think I could get a good sound if I used the ‘Ass Wrecker’ circuits from your pickups on my Gibson.”

2D stirred, then groaned loudly.

Murdoc flinched at the sudden loud noise.

“Oh, sweet Satan, my head!” 2D bellowed steadily in an octave lower than his usual tone. He brought a hand up to hold his head, but missed terribly, his hand passing clear over his head to hit the raised bed behind him. His blacked-out eyes opened wide. “The hell’s wrong with my voice?”

Murdoc had risen abruptly to stare at the source of new commotion. He now stared at 2D with an equally shocked expression.

“D-?” Russel eyed 2D’s body carefully.

“I’ve got a double!” Murdoc’s body said, but his voice came out uneven and higher than usual, and cracked two words in.

2D’s body, Noodle, and Russel turned to look questioningly at the person who looked like Murdoc. 

Upon noticing all eyes on him, 2D slowly looked down at himself in abject horror. Where his long legs should have been were Murdoc’s shorter, hairy green ones, complete with blackened toe claws. “Oh my god.”

“What THE HELL” Murdoc yelled using 2D’s voice in a raged tone as he examined 2D’s alien-proportioned limbs. 

2D felt his face ( **not** **_his_ ** **face** ) with his now clawed hands as it drained of blood . “Hhhrmm,” 2D whimpered as Murdoc. He began to cry a little bit. Noodle came forward to comfort him.

“Russel,” Murdoc used 2D’s voice in a measured tone, “ _What the bloody hell is going on?_ ”

“Uh, Murdoc?” Russel leaned forward to look into what were 2D’s eyes. He carefully looked in to feel Murdoc’s dark black aura instead of 2D’s bright white one. “Oh fuck.”

2D started retching over the side of his bed into a bed pan, Noodle’s hand on his back.

“‘Oh fuck’ is right! What fresh hell is this? What happened to the concert? _What happened to me and the blue idiot?_ ” Murdoc gestured at the man who appeared to be him throwing up violently.

“Uhh-”

A knock at the door spared Russel from the wrath of the 2D-appearing Murdoc.

“You better not mention this to the doctor, you know this is above his pay grade. This is some supernatural shite and you know that.” Russel didn’t know how to feel about Murdoc using 2D’s voice like that. 

“Hello? I heard a ruckus. You gentlemen are up then?”

2D lifted his head and used the back of Murdoc's hand to wipe his mouth clean. “Yea.”

…

After getting the all clear from their doctor, the Gorillaz headed home. Though they were technically healthy, they were really just not okay.

Though they were let out the back, there were still reporters that managed to find the group as they were led to their car by their entourage.

“Murdoc, are you getting too old to tour? Was what happened last night a result of your aging body?” 2D blinked Murdoc’s eyes uncomfortably.

“2D, was what happened to you and Mr. Niccals last night the result of years of constant drug use? Did you two overdose onstage?”

“Mr. Niccals? The name’s Murdoc, twat. Fuck off,” Murdoc made 2D say in a rude sneer with a weirdly uncharacteristic low tone. It was enough to throw off the reporters long enough for the group to quickly climb into their car. “Fucking parasites, the lot of them,” Murdoc lit a cigarette. 

2D stared at himself smoking a cigarette. The past few hours were a blur. How did he get dressed, and who dressed him? It must’ve been Noodle. He looked down at himself again. Murdoc’s calloused hands came out of his long-sleeved striped shirt. It was Murdoc’s body below his head, and Murdoc’s head around his, him? 2D started to hold himself like he does when nervous, then shortly realized it felt like Murdoc holding him. 2D shakily put his new hands back down at his sides while trying not to cry.

Their bodyguards eyed Murdoc and 2D suspiciously. The two were the weirder of the group, but right now they looked real out of sorts. 2D was spreading out his legs, arms behind his head, cigarette in his mouth, posturing. Murdoc sat rigidly still, arms stiff while he gripped the edge of his seat anxiously. He was clenching his mouth shut. It was like the two swapped bodies. Weirdos.


End file.
